Let's Move Blog

Posted by Cullen Schwarz and Brooke Hardison, USDA Office of Communications on March 4, 2015

Ed. Note: This is a cross post from the blog of usda.gov. You can find the original post here.
A new study published in Childhood Obesity has again confirmed that students are consuming healthier food at school as a result of the updated meal standards. The study further demonstrates that, contrary to anecdotal reports, the new standards are not contributing to an increase in plate waste. The study was conducted by researchers from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut, the University of California Berkeley, and Yale University.

Ed. Note: This is a cross post from the blog of usda.gov. You can find the original post here.
"Good nutrition is just as important to a child’s future as a quality education—maybe even more so. We can’t expect kids to learn, excel and achieve if they aren’t properly nourished from day one. Share Our Strength’s new report, Hunger in Our Schools, illustrates how the healthier school breakfasts and lunches are working to address the twin crises of childhood hunger and obesity, particularly for low-income children. Healthy meals set up our kids for success, and school meals are a critical and effective part of that." –Secretary Tom Vilsack

This year marks the fifth anniversary of Let’s Move!, and we’re celebrating the progress of the last five years, challenging ourselves and everyone to do even more, and committing to championing kids’ health for the next five years and beyond.
As part of the anniversary, the First Lady is challenging everyone to #GimmeFive things they are doing to eat better, be more active, and lead a healthier life. We have already seen people from across the country join in – from eating five fruits and vegetables to doing five pushups or lunges to sharing five healthy recipes.

Posted by Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints Quarterback and Co-Chair of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition on March 2, 2015

February is always a time for celebration in New Orleans. Typically Mardi Gras is in full force, or we may be fortunate enough to celebrate a Saints Super Bowl win. But, this February also marks a more substantial and impactful national celebration – the five-year anniversary of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative.

First Lady Michelle Obama delivered the keynote address to nearly 1,000 stakeholders at the Partnership for Healthier America’s (PHA) annual “Building a Healthier Future” summit. The summit provided an opportunity for those in the private sector to sit with their nonprofit, academic and government counterparts to address critical issues facing the future of this country’s health and well-being. The summit stressed action and solutions to help Americans make healthier choices, regardless of their geographic location. The summit honored continued commitments from multiple invested stakeholders, and the First Lady spotlighted the changes these commitments are making nationwide, including looking back at the progress over the past five years as part of the 5th anniversary celebration of Let's Move!.

Posted by Jenna Brayton, Associate Director of Content, White House Office of Digital Strategy on February 23, 2015

Ed. Note: This is a cross post from the blog of whitehouse.gov You can find the original post here.
Mark your calendars: On April 6, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will host the 137th-annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn! The Easter Egg Roll is a special White House tradition that dates all the way back to 1878 and President Rutherford B. Hayes – and it's now the largest public White House celebration.

Have you been making healthier choices over the past five years? #GimmeFive! Have you planted a garden, joined a dance class, eaten more fruits and vegetables? #GimmeFive! And, in the spirit of Let’s Move! – whether it’s pushups or recipes or hours spent on your health – can you #GimmeFive more?

The March edition of the Cooking Light magazine hits newsstands this Friday with a focus on inspiring families to prepare healthy and affordable meals and celebrating the 5th Anniversary of Let’s Move!. First Lady Michelle Obama is featured on the cover and is the first person in the magazine’s 28-year history to appear on the cover. In this special edition, the First Lady sat down to talk with Cooking Light about her personal experience around cooking and family meals and how that lead to her work focusing on nutrition when she came to the White House.

Five years ago, First Lady Michelle Obama launched Let’s Move!, a nationwide initiative to set children on a path to a healthy future. And over the past five years, we have seen incredible commitments from parents, business leaders, educators, elected officials, military leaders, chefs, physicians, athletes, childcare providers, community and faith leaders, and kids themselves to improve the health of our nation’s children.